When to Start Wearing Contact Lenses?
Posted: Tue 04 Jun 2013 9:20 pm
I was diagnosed with KC in Oct 2009, when I was 31. My KC was very mild when diagnosed and I have not had to start wearing contact lenses or glasses yet. The KC is just clinically detectable in my right eye and the vision in that eye is very good. The KC in my left eye has progressed slowly since I was diagnosed and the vision in that eye is quite poor; for example, I can hardly read normal text with my left eye on its own. As the vision in my right eye is fine, my overall vision with both eyes is pretty much fine.
At my last appointment at the eye clinic in Feb, the ophthalmologist referred me to the contact lens clinic, so I could try a contact lens in my left eye; without much discussion or explanation. I was surprised by this suggestion, because one year previously at the eye clinic the optician said that if they gave me a contact lens for my left eye, I would not wear it because the vision in my right eye is fine. And in the summer of last year my own optician did not seem to think there was any need for me to start wearing a contact lens in my left eye. On Wed last week (22 May) I went to the contact lens clinic and contact lenses have been ordered for me. Again, there was very little discussion of whether I should start wearing a contact lens in my left eye. I therefore have some questions about whether I should do so.
1. What I would really like to know is this: do I need to wear a contact lens in my left eye when the vision in my right eye is fine? The optician at the contact lens clinic said that I would notice very little difference in my vision with both eyes if I wear one. He also said that when people with KC in only one eye are given contact lenses, they often do not wear them. This raises the question of why they give contact lenses in such cases and whether it is necessary to do so. The impression I have gained from my experience is that they do not seem to know the answer. And also that there is little scope for meaningful discussion during these appointments.
2. A related question is this: is it wisest to not wear a contact lens in my left eye until it is definitely necessary to do so? I have read on this forum that there is a risk that wearing contact lenses can speed up the progress of KC and that it is therefore better to put off starting wearing them until it really is necessary. When this is considered along with what I have written above, it suggests that since the vision in my right eye is fine, I would be better not wearing a contact lens in my left eye yet. It seems that only a small benefit would be noticed by my doing so and that the risk of wearing one may out-weigh that benefit. Why should I risk speeding up the progress of KC in my left eye when the vision in my right eye is fine and I am able to get by without contact lenses?
These are of course issues I will need to discuss with my own optician, who thankfully is very good at discussing things with me when I see him, but I cannot see him before I am due back at the contact lens clinic to be shown how to put in and remove the lenses. I would really appreciate getting the opinions of people on this forum; thank you.
At my last appointment at the eye clinic in Feb, the ophthalmologist referred me to the contact lens clinic, so I could try a contact lens in my left eye; without much discussion or explanation. I was surprised by this suggestion, because one year previously at the eye clinic the optician said that if they gave me a contact lens for my left eye, I would not wear it because the vision in my right eye is fine. And in the summer of last year my own optician did not seem to think there was any need for me to start wearing a contact lens in my left eye. On Wed last week (22 May) I went to the contact lens clinic and contact lenses have been ordered for me. Again, there was very little discussion of whether I should start wearing a contact lens in my left eye. I therefore have some questions about whether I should do so.
1. What I would really like to know is this: do I need to wear a contact lens in my left eye when the vision in my right eye is fine? The optician at the contact lens clinic said that I would notice very little difference in my vision with both eyes if I wear one. He also said that when people with KC in only one eye are given contact lenses, they often do not wear them. This raises the question of why they give contact lenses in such cases and whether it is necessary to do so. The impression I have gained from my experience is that they do not seem to know the answer. And also that there is little scope for meaningful discussion during these appointments.
2. A related question is this: is it wisest to not wear a contact lens in my left eye until it is definitely necessary to do so? I have read on this forum that there is a risk that wearing contact lenses can speed up the progress of KC and that it is therefore better to put off starting wearing them until it really is necessary. When this is considered along with what I have written above, it suggests that since the vision in my right eye is fine, I would be better not wearing a contact lens in my left eye yet. It seems that only a small benefit would be noticed by my doing so and that the risk of wearing one may out-weigh that benefit. Why should I risk speeding up the progress of KC in my left eye when the vision in my right eye is fine and I am able to get by without contact lenses?
These are of course issues I will need to discuss with my own optician, who thankfully is very good at discussing things with me when I see him, but I cannot see him before I am due back at the contact lens clinic to be shown how to put in and remove the lenses. I would really appreciate getting the opinions of people on this forum; thank you.